Step Up to the Plate, Maria Singh

I liked this book because it was written for youth so the chapters went quickly. I was reading it to meet a reading requirement for a United Methodist Women's Reading program. The topic was an historical throwback to California in the 40's when Eastern Indian people were not allowed to have citizenship in the US.

Maria's perseverance paid off, she did not give up on wearing pants rather than adress.With encouragement from her aunt, she continued to play ball and won over her father in the end.

Great midde grade historical fiction. Well researched, well written.

The Story-It is 1945 and World War II is happening in Europe. Fifth grader, Maria Singh, wants to play ball, just like the women in the All American Leagues. Her chance becomes reality when her teacher puts together an all girl softball team. However, Maria's Papi from India does not want her wearing shorts, and her Mama from Mexico, wants her to keep an eye on her little brother Emilio.Determined, Maria sets out to follow her dream, but life is not so easy. Her father is not allowed to become a citizen of the US and thus, can't buy land. When the owner of their farm decides to move, Maria's family needs to come up with a plan, and fast. As her father fights for his rights in the US and for the rights of his people against the British in India, Maria must learn to deal with the hatred of people who don't understand people who are different, whether in religion, color or country.Maria takes a risk and steps up to the school board, asking for a ball field for kids to play in and sports for girls. At home, her Mama and Papi also fight, for their land and freedoms.My Thoughts-This book is a treasure trove of the American immigrant experience. Previously, the Indian/Mexican interracial couples of the 1940's and their experiences were unknown to me. This book does a great job highlighting the differences between the cultures and the loving ways they fit together.Maria is just like many other girls. She wants to be herself and break free from the rules of her parents. Of course, her journey comes full circle when she realizes that her problems involving softball are actually small compared to the world problems of war and freedom. The author combines all of the problems, big and small alike, into a seamless story.I really enjoyed Maria's inner dialogue. She is smart for her age, and unravels words and feelings of hate and revenge for what they really are, fear and insecurity. Maria is able to make mistakes, learn from them, ask forgiveness and then move on. She faces the racism and sexism in stand up ways and learns to move beyond the aggression their feelings cause, and actually search out solutions.This is a great read. I'm giving it 5 stars!

Lots of potential for supporting deeper thinking in the classroom. Book talk this with 4th-6th grade students for independent reading, OR make this a core text for a literature circle, OR read this aloud to the class and provide opportunities for small groups to contemplate high level thinking questions like, "What does Maria observe (at home, in school, in the community) that influences/shapes her thinking?" or "How is Maria's identity shaped by having parents from two different countries?" If your students are studying the American Revolution, ask questions like "Almost two hundred years later, do the American laws (that restrict citizenship and land ownership) described in this story align with the beliefs of those who signed the Declaration of Independence?" Engage the students in asking questions about the real-life circumstances that are depicted in this book and then engaging in research to find answers. They might ask questions like, "When were people from India granted citizenship in the U.S.?" or "Are there still groups of people we do not grant citizenship to? Or voting rights?" Or focus on researching how women's rights continued to improve in the 1940's and beyond...so much you could do with this book. Or you could simply make it available for students to read and enjoy on their own:)

It was 1945 and, with World War II going on, all nine-year-old Maria wanted to do was play baseball. Her aunt built planes and women were starting to play professional ball so, when her teacher started an all-girls team at her school, Maria was thrilled. Unfortunately her Mexican mother and Indian father had old-fashioned ideas about what girls could do, so she knew it would be hard to convince them to let her play.As she learns about teamwork and baseball, Maria also starts to learn about prejudice and racism when her little brother is beat up for being different and a German classmate lashes out at her. When she finds out her father can’t become a U.S. citizen or own the land he’d worked for years, through the confidence earned from playing the game she loved, Maria learns to speak up and make a difference in her world.This book is an important introduction to the inequalities and discrimination faced by specific immigrant groups, many of which still go on today. Readers are also given insight into the world of adha-adha “half and half,” (Mexican-Hindu families) which also serves to educate. It should be in every elementary and middle school library, and would make for excellent discussions as part of a book club.Highly recommended for ages 10-14.I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.